CD Review: EMC, The Show
Mar 31, 2008 11:58 PM Max Herman (Writer)
After dropping his
universally acclaimed 2004 LP, A Long Hot
Summer, original Juice Crew member Masta Ace often hinted that his solo
career was over. We have yet to see if this retirement will stand. But for now,
the veteran Brooklyn MC returns in respectable form with the new group EMC,
featuring fellow NYC rhymers Punchline and Wordsworth, as well as his protege,
Stricklin, from Milwaukee.
Being a concept album that
sees this quartet reenacting what life is actually like on tour, The Show would have benefited from
having one or two producers seeing the entire project through instead of
six-plus. Still, most of the sample-soaked beats from Marco Polo, DJ Premier
and the other East Coasters are pretty solid. "Traffic," an uptempo
string-tinged track about finding creative ways to kill time before a show, is
especially memorable with its breezy, summertime vibe. The mellower "We
Alright" is also notable for its smooth, atmospheric sound. But on the
whole, it's the storytelling skills of Ace, Punch, Words and Strick that are
the major draw of the effort, as they take listeners through all the highs and
lows of rocking stages from state to state.
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